Engage your audience with these social media management tips

4 Social Media management tips to boost engagement  

It’s an age when connecting with your online audience is vital    

If you haven’t realised it’s an online world, you must be living in a secluded cave somewhere, with a dodgy internet connection and no power.

Honestly, we’re all so online these days, that people talk about having a ‘digital detox’ (maybe in a cave somewhere…). And it’s something you’d never hear your grannie say, ‘Back in my day, we had digital detoxes’…Nope, haven’t heard that yet!

But it’s a new world. It’s a world of digital living.

And social media can be your biggest promotional tool, building relationships faster than ever before.

When someone recommends your product on Facebook, their friends check it out too. Or they’ve written a review which customers WILL read while making up their minds. They’ll also follow your Twitter and Instagram posts to keep an eye out for discounts or sales.

But social media can also be the most annoying part of running a small business. That’s why it’s my most popular service!

Here are my top tips for managing your social media with ease

1.    Research

Research is the key to success with social media. You need to know who you’re speaking to and incorporate relevant keywords. Your content should be relevant to your business and your customers and never post just for the sake of it. To find out what your audience wants to see from you, try questionnaires and polls.

2.    Plan

There’s no winging it when it comes to social media. Try to create a monthly social media plan as the best content strategy is consistency. You want to create content that is good enough to be re-shared, and that will remain relevant for a while (not be outdated within a week). Look at the posts your audience reacted to or shared or those of others you follow and replicate these.

3.    Remain Authentic

Be yourself – no one else can be you. Keep it real, and your audience will love you for it. People want to follow accounts of real people rather than a business. Be the face of your business. Respond to comments, feedback or reviews and always be kind. Make sure your posts are focussed on creating conversations and not blatant self-promotion.

4.    Analyse

Take some time to analyse your success and take notes where your posts may need some improvement. Also look at your engagement rates. The social platforms offer analytics that shows growth, engagement and popular posts. You should also look at Google Analytics on your website to show the source of your traffic (noting how often they come from social media). Checking your social stats will show you where you’re winning (or failing) with your posts.

Know when to outsource social media management

Social media is hard work – and it’s time-consuming! Most business owners plod along with their social media to start before they realise it’s taking up so much time and they reach out for help. But as social media is hugely personal, it’s not always easy to know how to hand this over.

The best advice I have for you is to know your goals (what do you want to achieve from using social media) and be clear on your message. From there, I can work with you to create posts that reflect your brand and connect with your audience.

If you’ve got any advice to add on social media management, I’d love for you to share it below.